Legal Training Routes at AWH Solicitors

Do you want to start your law career at one of the UK’s top 200 law firms? At AWH Solicitors we are looking to offer our training contract to the newest talent in the field.

View our latest vacancies

General Entry-Level – Roles

Fresh graduates can join AWH across all departments. Whilst their required specific experiences may differ slightly, most departments would look for an individual who has completed their LLB. The completion of the LPC is not essential for entry-level roles across all departments. Additionally, individuals are able to study their LPC whilst working at AWH. It is desirable, but not essential, that candidates have some exposure to a legal environment. However, this is not the case for New Claims as individuals can come in with no legal experience at all. Their salaries, therefore, reflect the amount of experience they have within the legal sector.

Training Contract Specifically

Applicants must have obtained their LPC to qualify for the training contract. Additionally, they must be employees of AWH who have successfully completed their 6 months probationary period. The applicant must additionally have no live instances of disciplinary/corrective actions within the business.

To summarise the progression pipeline; LLB graduates can apply for entry-level roles across all our departments. If the individual is successful in obtaining a position, they can apply for our training contract following they have obtained their LPC. This can be done whilst in the business or prior. You must also have completed their 6-month probationary period, and have no live instances of disciplinary and corrective actions.

Support Tools and Training with the Training Contract

For the Entry-Level Roles

Training, support, and tools provided vary depending on the department. However, across all departments, individuals can expect 1 month, 3 month and 6-month probationary reviews to analyse their developments, skills and areas for improvement. They also can expect continuous 1-2-1 training sessions and would get additional training if their manager deemed it appropriate.

Successful individuals would have the opportunity to work with individuals with different levels of experience meaning they would have the support from their peers who are at a similar stage in their career and get the opportunity to work with individuals with decades worth of experience to increase their learning.

Depending on the team they initially join will influence the members they would work alongside however many of the departments often work together and it is likely they will work with members of different teams which would increase their exposure to different areas of the legal sector.

The Training Contract Process

Our internal training contract applications usually open in April/May.

Step 1 – Application

We send out an internal job ad informing all employees that our training contract process has begun.

Interested applicants are expected to apply in writing by completing the internal application form. The application form contains a set of requirements, with the individual expecting to state and show how they meet all the necessary criteria.

An example of the criteria :

Have completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC)
Have successfully passed your 6 months probationary period AWH Solicitors
Be able to demonstrate consistent performance standards through appraisals and 1-2-1.
Have 0 “live” instances of disciplinary/ corrective actions in relation to performance against company competencies including areas such as attendance and attitude.
Be able to evidence “living the company values” in day to day working

The applicant will need to get their line manager to approve their answers, before sending their application forward to HR.

Step 2 – Interview

After the application deadline, all applications will be reviewed by certain directors including the operations director, and HR director who will determine who will be invited forward for an interview.

Successful applicants will be invited for an interview. During the interview the applicant will present a short presentation. This presentation should be roughly 15 minutes long and cover:

Why we should offer you a training contract?
What would you bring to AWH/your commercial awareness?

The presentation points may change or vary slightly.

Step 3 – Successful Applicants

After all the interviews have taken place, the selected directors will determine who has been successful. There is no limit on how many training contracts we offer. Last year (2021) all four of our applicants were offered a training contract.

Those who have been successful will be informed and given a start date. Depending on how many individuals are successful, could influence the start date of the training contracts as they may need to be split into 2 groups. If they are put into the 2^nd start date group, all fee earning work completed during that duration will be taken into consideration as a period of recognised training. This may reduce the length of the training contract. If they have completed 6 months fee earning work, the training contract could be 18 months rather than 2 years. However, this will be at the sole discretion of the Head of the Department and the Training Principle.

What We Offering With Our Training Contract?

Competitive salary
Bonus opportunities
The chance to join our UK’s top 2% firm
Ability to join without an LPC
Ability to complete LPC while working at AWH Solicitors
Annual Bonus Scheme – Subject to individual performance
24 days holiday + Bank Holidays + Birthday off
Medical Cash Plans with Medicash
Flexible working schedules including start and end times and work from home days
Career progressions
Company social events such as Summer Party and Christmas Party
Vibrant Sociable culture
Religious accommodations such as a prayer room and flexible work scheduling options.
Social Facilities in the office including pool table and vending machines

AWH’s Housing Disrepair Solicitor Hesham Bilal-Hafiz States:

“As someone who had been working at the firm for around 2 years prior, I had thoroughly enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and culture of the firm and it felt like a natural decision to try and continue my journey here. The amount of helpful guidance I have had at my disposal during my time in Housing Disrepair through experienced team members and training managers was also a fantastic indication that any training contact here would be genuinely productive and a meaningful learning curve.”

How Are You Enjoying the Role So Far?

“Thus far, I am enjoying the responsibility and opportunities afforded to me in the new area to me of Family Law. Given my work is pre-litigation in Housing Disrepair, it has been brilliant to have growing exposure to face-to-face clientele, remote court hearings and experience sitting in court for a fact-finding trial. I am sure in other areas that I shall encounter I will be able to have new experiences that shall provide me with chances to test new areas of a future lawyer skillset!”

How Did You Find the Application Process?

“The application process was relatively straight forward which of course itself made the decision to put forward an application a definite no brainer. I was able to express myself in written form in the online submission on my suitability for the role with well-tailored questions. The interview thereafter also felt like an amicable conversation with both interviewers making a usually nerve-wracking situation into one in which I felt comfortable. The whole process did not drag on for months as well, so I was happy that it was a streamlined process I could properly focus on without any significant distraction to my main day-to-day job responsibilities.”

Would you Recommend Our Training Contract?

“I would recommend AWH in general terms for a training contract because the people and personalities involved make for a really amicable and enjoyable working environment. The support network as aforementioned is very strong and one can feel confident, they’ll always be able to have approachable senior staff to learn from. The internal progression opportunities epitomise AWH as a place which rewards hard work and endeavour. A thoroughly enjoyable place to work!”

Start Your Career in Law with AWH Solicitors

If you are looking for a new and exciting career opportunity, working with a close-knit team of industry experts, please browse our current vacancies or send us your open application to recruitment@awhsolicitors.co.uk